Damaged Pieces (SasuSaku AU)

IV. Sasuke's Ramen Spray

DAMAGED PIECES:

There is nothing as powerful as a mother's love and nothing as healing as a child's soul. 👪

- Unknown
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Sakura had toughened herself up. Two years in jail and two years after being released, she had made herself tough as steel. She didn't cry. Never did she allow it. She knew she'd have to face the world. And crying wouldn't help her through it.

But that one fine day, when she realized that maybe she really has found her child after so long of looking, she couldn't explain nor contain what emotions coursed through her that made her sink gracelessly onto the floor of her dorm room and cry her eyes out till they were swollen.

Sakura had delivered Sarada just a week prior to being taken in. Yes, she'd had physical relations with more than just one male, so she couldn't tell who's child it was. Even now, she cannot seem to recall when she had slept with Sasuke at all. But she was sure Sarada was his too. The resemblance was undeniably striking.

Today was the first time in four years that she had come to strongly hate the mess her life had been so far. When she was taken in, she had been told by a trusted friend that her daughter had been given in the safe hands of her father. Sakura was confused. She actually had no idea, even then, about who her daughter's father was. But apparently, this person did.

She was visited by the particular friend only once, during her first week of jail. Back then, she was told that the girl was safe and would be taken good care of. She was told that it was best for her if Sakura were to keep away from the child, for a while at least. She'd understood and accepted the concern, and stayed put silently.

When she got out of prison, she wanted nothing more than to see her. But despite her mother's and her own combined efforts, they couldn't locate Sakura's daughter. Neither were they able to locate the trusted friend.

That was until one day, fate took its course and brought her to Konoha.
And this finally led her to now - sprawled across the floor, eyes dried of tears, swollen and red.

Sarada Uchiha is her daughter. She found her. She found her little girl.

*

Sasuke always knew what Ino was trying to do. He knew she wanted to get back together with him. But Sasuke had different priorities in life than dating an ambitious ex-girlfriend.

Honestly, he was never in love with her. He did question many times why he even thought he liked her in the first place. When he caught her making out with another guy in her bedroom, he was more relieved than angry. She'd given him the perfect opportunity to break up with her. And he did just that.
But now she was back.

He didn't hate her. He just didn't see her as someone he'd fall for. Besides, now that he had Sarada to look after, nothing else in the world took priority or even importance. He planned on remaining single and raising Sarada on his own.

So, keeping to business, he payed Ino for the day of babysitting while he was in the college library collecting books for the next exam. She lingered for a while before leaving.

He would have to ask her again, since Naruto had just gotten himself a girlfriend and it wasn't fair for him to take away time that was rightfully hers. Sasuke sighed. This situation with Ino needed some sorting. But what other choice did he have?

"Papa, I am ready!", Sarada came running down the stairs.

"For what?", he asked, seeing his 4 year old in outing clothes.

"Papa, you promised ramen?", she questioned his memory.

Then it clicked in his head. "Oh, right. Come on."

Sasuke rarely took his motorcycle with Sarada because he was skeptical about her safety. But tonight, he needed the blast of fresh air.
And Sarada was completely awed by his decision. She loved sitting in front of her father on the bike.

She was annoyed by the belt Sasuke tied around her to secure her against his abdomen, but that was nothing compared to the thrill of the motorbike ride with her dad.

The ramen shop was always the same. The best in town, Ichiraku's. Sarada happily skipped along with Sasuke inside the place. On being seated, familiar pink hair caught her eye.

"Hey! Miss Sakura!", she waved and called, causing Sasuke to look up from the menu and find the woman.

Sakura turned around and her gaze got locked on to Sasuke's daughter. She stared for a good few moments before collecting herself and waving back with a smile.
He noticed how her eyes lingered on Sarada before approaching them to take their order.

Sasuke kept noticing Sakura throughout the evening. Normally, it was him they stared at. The girls thought they could use Sarada as an excuse to get closer to Sasuke. He absolutely hated it. Not that they didn't end up adoring his daughter anyway, but he still didn't approve of it.

When Sakura brought an extra treat for Sarada along with their order, his senses began to bug him. He didn't feel anything hostile coming from the woman at all. In fact, she seemed genuinely kind and interested in adoring Sarada only. She had spared him only a smile or two. Was this some new angle?

He shook his head to brush off that thought. He saw none of the right signs to indicate her inclination towards himself. She perhaps really did take to Sarada. He smirked. Should he? That would even sort his trouble with.. but no, could he really? To use her to get rid of..?

Sasuke allowed the thought to run through his mind in contemplation. Money wasn't much of a problem for him. Beside his part time summer job in the police department, he had all that inheritance as well.

"Papa, are you even listening?", came Sarada's voice cutting in through his thoughts.

"Yes. Tell me more.", Sasuke guiltily lied.

She let out a sigh. "I was just saying, Miss Sakura seems nice. She didn't even try to talk to you like the other girls do."

Monosyllables were only occassionally used when talking to his beloved daughter. For everyone else, Sarada knew they were pretty much standard.

"You like her?"

Sarada shrugged. "She seems nice and she actually likes me. Unlike Aunt Ino."

Sarada, unknowingly, was a replica in many ways, of her father. She conveyed her thoughts not too directly but always got her point across.

"Sarada, everyone likes you. Even Aunt Ino. She just has a different way of showing it."

"Maybe,", she nonchalantly waved her hand, something that was attributive of the mother she didn't know yet. "But I honestly think she just wants to be close to my papa."

Sasuke almost sprayed the soup right out of his mouth rather grossly. Almost. He quickly swallowed and drank some water. He knew Sara was very smart for her age. He knew she understood much more than normal 4 year olds did. But for her to say that.

"What makes you think that, Sarada?"

"She is always asking about you. What you do, what you eat, when you bathe,", Sarada shrugged as if this was very normal news. "I mean, its obvious she wants to get in your pants."

Sasuke sprayed out the water he was currently drinking this time. He coughed violently before the pink haired waitress quickly filled up his glass of water and offered help that he waved off.

"Sarada! Where did you learn that?!"

"TV, papa.", she answered innocently, not properly understanding just what she had told her father.

"Your TV privileges are taken away for 2 weeks. Starting now!"

"What?! But dad..! Your pants won't fit her anyway, so you don't have to give them if you don't want to!", Sarada desperately reasoned.

Sasuke felt more horror at the statement.

"3 weeks!"